


Side By Side

by Candeecake



Category: X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Hurt Charles Xavier, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Love Confessions, M/M, Protective Erik Lehnsherr, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:40:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28617453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Candeecake/pseuds/Candeecake
Summary: Charles finds himself in Erik's care after an attack on the school and himself. Together they find serenity in each other.
Relationships: Erik Lehnsherr & Charles Xavier, Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier
Comments: 5
Kudos: 63





	Side By Side

**Author's Note:**

> Forgot how amazing X-Men is! Love First Class and the relationship between Erik and Charles. 
> 
> Just writing hurt/comfort fics during the quarantine. What else am I going to do besides obsess over ships?
> 
> May you enjoy this, I had fun writing this.

“You were right about everything,” Charles whispered, laying bloodied and bruised on the mattress. His legs ached as purple and blue bruises would creep upon his legs soon. Tears started to stream down his cheeks onto his lips as the blood and salt burned his tongue. “I was-blind.”

“Charles-”

“I’m sorry. I should have listened,” He wheezed out. Erik sat beside him, holding his hand.

“It’s okay.” Erik soothed, rubbing circles onto Charles’s skin.

“I can hear everything. All chaos and hate. It won’t stop. Make it stop!” Charles pleaded, shutting his eyes tight. Suddenly the room started shaking, twisting with his anguish. Erik sat calmly, waiting for the storm to pass. “I don’t know how to make it stop.”

“Charles, focus on me-can you do that?” Erik asked, leaning over his face. Charles nodded, wincing in pain for control. “Do you remember the day you saved me? The day we met. I was going to drown...but you gave me hope, light, love. I want to be the same for you. I don’t want to live in a world that we all dream of if I can’t have you.”

The room slowed it’s shaking. Only echoes of metal ringing hung in the still silence. Charles took shaky breaths, grasping onto Erik’s shirt sleeve. Sobs let go of his body. “I don’t know what to do.”

“We’ll figure it out together, I promise,” Erik said, cupping Charles’s chin. Charles took one last breath, as his mouth escaped into a small smile. 

“I’m sorry for everything I did that hurt you. You mean more to me than you ever will know,” Charles whispered, his voice a bit hoarse. “I’m-tru-truly sorry.”

“We can talk about everything later. You need to sleep. Everything will be alright,” Erik said, giving a small smile to Charles. “I’m sorry too.” Charles grasped his hand laying on his cheek.

“Can you stay with me? Just until I fall asleep?” Charles asked shyly, a blush painting onto his face. Erik paused for a few heartbeats, gazing at him. “It’s okay..you don-”

“Of course, I want to be by your side.” Erik’s mind had a quick flashback to the beach. He could almost taste the blood and regret on his lips. Charles’s lips curved into a bright smile. Erik guided him down to the bed, carefully laying beside him. Charles drifted into the world of sleep. After a few hours of watching Charles free of nightmares, Erik fell asleep as well.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day, Erik crept out of the bed. He tiptoed across the room, careful not to wake Charles. Glancing at him sleeping on the bed, Erik watched him peacefully sleep. Finally, taking a deep breath, he went downstairs to face questions and real life.

Charles awoke to an empty bed and rainy morning. Rain always made his spine ache for some reason. Groaning, he propped himself up on his elbows. His eyes darted across the room, surveying the luxurious vintage furniture. Outside the window were miles of green hills and cloudy skies. 

Suddenly, Charles dropped back to the bed. A symphony of screams and pain started to drown his mind. Memories came rushing back. Walls started to close in on him, Charles cried out again. His legs felt stiffer than ever. Panicking, Charles shut his eyes hoping for the nightmare to pass. 

Erik heard Charles screaming. He dropped his cup of coffee, that he was drinking. Mystique ran after him, calling his name. Erik turned the metal doorknob. He opened the door to find Charles cringing in anguish. Mystique glanced at him briefly as her face shifted to horror.

“Find Emma,” Erik stated, rushing to Charles. He heard Mystique’s footsteps down the hall. Erik noticed a small trail of blood from Charles’s nose. Gingerly, Erik placed his hands on Charles’s cheeks. 

Charles was lost in a storm of voices, barely holding onto himself. He could feel himself falling, surprisingly wanted to fall into the darkness where nothing could hurt him. The winds were cold and forceful. 

“Charles, can you hear me?” Erik asked frantically. Charles’s eyes widened as his voice braved through the loud thunder in his head. “You need to calm your mind.”

“I can’t,” Charles wheezed out. “I can’t shut them out.”

“Calm your mind, please Charles. Focus on my voice,” Erik ordered. “You’re okay, You’re not alone.”

Charles breathed deeply, straining to clear the clouds in his head. He could feel warm sunlight and a quiet sky opening up in his mind. The voices moved to vanish whispers. Charles gritted his teeth, raising walls to keep out any pain. The steady drum of pain echoed in his head. “I almost got it.”

“You can do it. I’m here.”

“I got it”, Charles chuckled in half pain and half relief. He opened his eyes, finding Erik staring back at him. “I got it.”

“I got you,” Erik muttered, breathing to calm himself. He scanned Charles’s face and a bloody nose. Charles had dark circles under his eyes. His skin was pale yet sweaty. Charles gave a weak smile, grasping Erik’s wrists. He rubbed small circles on Erik’s skin. “What happened?”

“I couldn’t stop remembering.”

“I wish I could take this pain away from you,” Erik said, pressing his forehead against Charles.

“I have to embrace it. It will make me stronger,” Charles admitted with a shaky breath. “You make me stronger. You always have.”

“As do you. Charles, I love you,” Erik whispered, feeling dizzy from his confession. He could feel his body wanting to run. To protect Charles from himself but he found himself staying put. Charles’s eyes closed gently before gazing into his. His bright blue eyes made his heart beat faster.

“I love you too.” Charles pressed their lips together into a tender kiss. Erik could taste the smell of vintage paper on his lips. He breathed in the moment of them carefully, diving in an ocean of serenity. Erik dropped one hand to Charles’s hips, bringing him closer. Charles let out a small gasp that led to a small chuckle. “Someone’s coming.”

The knock on the door startled both of them. Erik broke apart from Charles, leaving his palm on his knee. Suddenly the door swung open to find Mystique and Emma with determined faces. “Charles!” Mysti-Raven exclaimed.

“I’m okay-”

“Like hell you are! I saw you shaking like a goddamn earthquake,” Raven snapped, strolling into the room. Charles face turned a bit whiter.

“I would still like Emma to examine you,” Erik confessed, glancing at Charles tenderly. “You scared all of us.”

“No offense, Ms. Frost but I don’t exactly want you in my head,” Charles admitted, a spark of defense forming in his posture. Emma looked up at him with a bland face.

“None was taken, I’m with Erik now. If you trust him, you can trust me,” Emma shrugged, picking at her nails. Charles pondered for a few moments before giving in.

“Fine, do it before I change my mind.”

\-------------------------------------------------

Erik waited outside the door during Charles’s examination. He paced around in the hallway, flickering some metal coins around his wrists. After a few hours, he was invited to come in.

“ _ He’s fine, just a lot of trama coming through. He needs to talk it out or he will explode,”  _ Emma whispered in his mind as Erik nodded. He mouthed thank you and sat beside Charles. Charles turned his head to Erik, giving a tired grin.

“Can you tell me what happened back at the mansion?” Erik asked gently, laying beside Charles. He noticed a flicker of fear in Charles’s pupils. Erik wrapped an arm around him, trying to provide some sense of calm. “Emma told me you have a lot of trama coming through your head. You need to talk to someone or-

“There was a voice in my head, warning that someone was coming to the school,” Charles blurted out. “ I-I ordered everyone to follow escape protocols. At first, I thought that I was wrong, paranoid, or something.” Charles took another pained breath. Erik waited patiently. “I wasn’t. I don’t know who or what. But there were so many voices. Thoughts to kill the kids. I didn’t know what to do. I remember taking their thoughts and voices and twisting them. Until I could feel them stop. Someone told me that the kids were safe. I remember a sharp pain, blacking out and waking up here.”

Erik pressed his forehead to Charles, cupping his cheek. “We found you at some sort of lab, injured and unconscious. I thought I was going to die from fear that day.”

“But you didn’t, you found me.”

“I did, now I’m going to help you the way you helped me,” Erik soothed, smiling at him. “After that, we’re going to find the bad guys, find the kids, and rebuild the school.”

“You would do that for me?” Charles questioned in disbelief.

“I would do anything for you. Our views on humans and mutants may be different but I will always want to protect you,” Erik said, tenderly reaching up to kiss Charles’s forehead.

“I just wanted you to not lose your path. I was afraid.”

“I just wanted to not lose you. Even if you hated me, I would have killed anyone if it meant it could save you.”

Charles kissed him deeply, a song of serenity playing in both their hearts. Erik pressed his hands against Charles’s back, pushing him closer. They broke apart the kiss laying on the soft pillow. “What now?”

“Now that you are finally by my side. Can I just hold you? Erik asked tenderly, brushing some hair from Charles’s eye. 

“Okay-for how long?”

“Why don’t you read my mind?” Erik teased, embracing Charles in his arms. Charles surrendered to Erik’s lips on his forehead. He floated in Erik’s arms staring out the window. It was still raining, darkening the sky. Erik hugged him tighter, not letting go. For the first time in forever, they were side by side.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
